Single-serving beverage dispensing machines are commonly used, for example in office or residential settings, for providing quick, convenient and freshly prepared beverage servings. In general, beverages are produced in such machines from disposable cartridges containing soluble products such as coffee grounds or tea leaves.
The beverage making process generally involves the injection of hot water under pressure into the cartridge, through the beverage product, and out of the cartridge into a cup or mug. The beverage can be recovered from the cartridge for dispensing into the cup or mug via a hollow needle that punctures the cartridge. Although care is taken to seal the area around the puncture in an attempt to prevent liquid from leaving the cartridge around the outside of the needle, some liquid can still escape in this manner. This can necessitate a collecting surface around the needle to capture the escaped liquid in order to dispense it to the cup or mug. In some cases, a further collecting surface is then provided, onto which liquid flowing through the needle and escaped liquid both drain before being dispensed to the cup or mug. Additional surfaces can provide additional opportunities for contamination of the beverage.
The hollow needles used to recover beverage can also suffer from blockages by particles of product from within the cartridge.